Drew has two cats. One cat weighs 17 pounds, and the other one weighs \( 12 \frac{1}{2} \) pounds. Audrey's dog weighs 33 pounds. What is the difference in ounces between Audrey's dog and the combined weights of Drew's cats? Enter your answer in the box. ounces

To find the difference in ounces between Audrey's dog and the combined weights of Drew's cats, we will follow these steps: 1. **Convert the weights of the cats to a single unit (pounds).** 2. **Calculate the combined weight of Drew's cats.** 3. **Convert the weight of Audrey's dog to ounces.** 4. **Find the difference between the dog's weight and the combined weight of the cats in ounces.** ### Step 1: Convert the weight of the second cat to pounds The weight of the second cat is given as \( 12 \frac{1}{2} \) pounds, which can be converted to an improper fraction: \[ 12 \frac{1}{2} = 12 + \frac{1}{2} = \frac{24}{2} + \frac{1}{2} = \frac{25}{2} \text{ pounds} \] ### Step 2: Calculate the combined weight of Drew's cats Now, we will add the weights of both cats: \[ \text{Weight of first cat} = 17 \text{ pounds} \] \[ \text{Weight of second cat} = \frac{25}{2} \text{ pounds} \] \[ \text{Combined weight of cats} = 17 + \frac{25}{2} \] To add these, we convert 17 to a fraction with a denominator of 2: \[ 17 = \frac{34}{2} \] Now we can add: \[ \text{Combined weight of cats} = \frac{34}{2} + \frac{25}{2} = \frac{34 + 25}{2} = \frac{59}{2} \text{ pounds} \] ### Step 3: Convert the weight of Audrey's dog to ounces Audrey's dog weighs 33 pounds. To convert pounds to ounces, we use the conversion factor \( 1 \text{ pound} = 16 \text{ ounces} \): \[ \text{Weight of dog in ounces} = 33 \times 16 = 528 \text{ ounces} \] ### Step 4: Find the difference in ounces Now we need to convert the combined weight of Drew's cats from pounds to ounces: \[ \text{Combined weight of cats in ounces} = \frac{59}{2} \times 16 = 59 \times 8 = 472 \text{ ounces} \] Finally, we find the difference between the dog's weight and the combined weight of the cats: \[ \text{Difference} = 528 - 472 = 56 \text{ ounces} \] Thus, the difference in ounces between Audrey's dog and the combined weights of Drew's cats is \( \boxed{56} \).